What to Expect at Your Arraignment Hearing

Posted on Aug 10, 2016 10:25am PDT

If you were told that you will soon be arraigned for your crime, you may
be curious about what this entails. What is an arraignment and why do
you have to have one? An arraignment hearing will be the first time you
meet with a judge concerning your charges
after an arrest.

These arraignments
normally take place within 24 hours of your arrest. Many important factors concerning your case are decided at this arraignment,
and it’s best if you can have a
Phoenix criminal defense lawyer there beside you when you face the judge. If you don’t have a lawyer
ready to accompany you, then the court will provide one.

What Happens at the Arraignment?

During your arraignment hearing, a court officer will call out your docket
number. This is the identification for your case. He or she will also
declare that you are the defendant by listing the name of your case. After
this, he or she will ask you, the defendant, to waive the reading of your
rights, and then waive the reading of the charges if you so choose.

It is up to you whether or not you would like the court to read through
your rights and charges. While it saves time to skip this part of the
arraignment, it may help you to clarify any confusion about your case.
You can certainly ask to have the rights and charges read if you prefer.
After the charges are read or waived, a judge will ask you to enter a plea.

Entering a Plea of "Guilty" or "Not Guilty"

When the judge asks you to enter a plea during the arraignment, you will
declare whether you believe you are guilty or not guilty of the charges
that were read to you. Many times, the prosecution will read notices during
this time. This means that they will cite the laws in the Arizona Penal
Code that you have been accused of violating with your actions.

If you choose to accept a plea bargain, instead of choosing to fight the
prosecution at a criminal trial, you may never need to appear back in
court after your arraignment. This is only if you voluntarily admit that
you are guilty of the crimes that you have been accused of. Because you
admitted your guilt, you will probably be granted a lesser sentence.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.